Hello hello here we are with less than two weeks left of this summer in Berlin and I think I’m starting to get the whole typical summer-ending blues. Being in such a completely different place from what I am used to and initially knowing none of the language as well, I honestly was not really expecting to have become as attached as I have to this city. This summer has been a whole lot of things besides just an opportunity to take classes somewhere other than Evanston, and I think it may take me going back home and further processing it all in order to really relate all my impressions and experiences. But before then, I’m on a mission to savor my last few days in Berlin at my own pace–not trying to frantically rush in order to get every little thing done and see every last sight possible before leaving. Because at the end of the day, I’m really going to remember the slower moments rather than the hurried ones spent trying to run through every last museum exhibit or historical sight.
So the last few weeks have been pretty packed for me with classes and having two different NU friends come to visit me in Berlin from other summer study abroad programs within the span of a week. Honestly, it was really cool to actually feel like the expert as I explored my favorite spots again with people who really weren’t all that familiar with Berlin. Visiting places like Mauerpark, East Side Gallery, Kreuzberg, and even my favorite little gluten-free bakery/cafe right off the Eberswalder Straße U-Bahn stop, I felt less like a tourist and more like someone who knew their way around. That being said, living in Berlin for one summer hardly makes one a true Berliner, but I think it’s safe to say that I’ve found a rhythm to living here, and I’ll miss it when I’m gone.
showing my friend around my favorite spots in Berlin–this is one of my favorite views
cheesin at the East Side Gallery
ALSO PSA: I have found my absolute favorite little corner of Berlin ever ever ever, and I adore it so much that honestly if I could just pack it up and bring it with me back to the States I would. If you know me, you know that I have a #basic obsession with coffee shops and all things coffee-culture. Well, to all my fellow quality aesthetic coffee-shop lovers out there, I would like to let you all know that I have found perfection. Yesterday, I hoped on the U-Bahn to check out a new coffee shop recommendation for an afternoon of class-reading, photo editing, and chilling (I only got to the last two oops). I got off at the Karl-Marx Straße station in Neukölln, headed down the street and around the corner till I found it, and I was obsessed at first sight. This absolutely gorgeous coffee spot doubles as an art gallery and creative space. The current exhibition shows beautifully stunning photography by exclusively female photographer’s and is titled “Girlz Who Shoot”. At the far end of the cafe also stands a small stage where live music and performances are held regularly in the evenings when the cafe transforms from a coffee shop/work-space into a super hip and chill bar. The entire spot has the classic vintage aesthetic really going for it, complete with hand-written chalkboard coffee menus and fresh wildflowers placed on little antique looking tables. Prachtwerk is definitely my far one of the prettiest little places I have ever seen, and you’d better believe that I’ll be back tomorrow. Lol this post just became an advertisement for Prachtwerk cafe and I’m not even sorry–catch me here during the next two weeks, soaking up my last few moments of this Berlin life! That’s all for now~~
my happy place